After the NFL draft, the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs still have some needs to fill as they plan to defend their title. They did trade up in the second round to take wide receiver Rashee Rice out of SMU, but that still leaves oft-injured Kadarius Toney as the top wideout on the depth chart. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is back, but he is a streaky producer. On the defensive side of the ball, there are eight defensive tackles on the roster, but only one of them is under contract beyond this season. The team hopes to ink Chris Jones to an extension, but those talks are still ongoing. Let’s look at the Chiefs’ 2023 opponents as you consider your NFL betting options for this season.
NFL Betting News: 2023 Opponent Analysis – Kansas City Chiefs
Home Games: Denver Broncos, L.A. Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles
Road Games: Denver Broncos, L.A. Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, N.Y. Jets, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
In the AFC West, what looked like an exciting division for 2022 turned into a two-team race, as the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders imploded. The L.A. Chargers pushed the Chiefs hard and were in a position to beat them in both of their matchups last year, but key turnovers late in both games doomed the Chargers. It’s hard to see Justin Herbert being that unlucky two more times in 2023. The Raiders have a high-flying offense and replaced Derek Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo, going from a gunslinger to a game manager approach. The Denver Broncos still have Russell Wilson at quarterback but will have Sean Payton as head coach, which could pay off really well.
The Chiefs also tangle with the AFC East this season. Buffalo has to go to Arrowhead, but the Bills have proven tough in contender matchups during the regular season – not so much in the playoffs. Miami will have Tua Tagovailoa back at quarterback, but until he produces at an elite level, we won’t know how fully he’s recovered from his series of concussions last season. The Jets have Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb on offense, and their defense was already fairly stout last season. Then there are the Patriots, who suddenly look like they could finish last in their division.
The Chiefs face off with the NFC North this season. Chicago is in an intriguing rebuild around quarterback Justin Fields, who might be their best quarterback since the days of Jim McMahon. However, the team is still adding quality contributors around him. Detroit had a terrific finish to 2022, but their bizarre draft choices, and their gifting D’Andre Swift to Philadelphia for virtually nothing, have placed them back into the category of mediocre teams. Minnesota is another unpredictable team, as their offense can be high-octane – or plagued with turnovers. Green Bay has moved on from the Aaron Rodgers era, and I’m not sure that Jordan Love can outduel Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs also face two other AFC division winners: Cincinnati and Jacksonville. The Jaguars are a dangerous team and came within a touchdown of beating Kansas City at Arrowhead in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Bengals have had the Chiefs’ number the last two seasons – except in the AFC Championship last year. The Chiefs also face the Philadelphia Eagles, a division winner from the NFC. This is a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl, and it will be interesting to see what adding D’Andre Swift and three elite players from Georgia’s defense will do to Philadelphia’s chances.
In the division, I see the Chiefs going 4-2 – beating Denver twice and splitting with the Raiders and the Chargers. Against the AFC East, I see the Chiefs going 3-1, losing to Buffalo. Against the NFC North, I see the Chiefs going 4-0. What about the other division winners? I see them losing to Cincinnati, Jacksonville and Philadelphia, for a record of 11-6, good enough to win the AFC West again, but just barely.
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